Blogging The Boys
Heading into Sunday’s game, both the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys were plagued by injuries. Dallas was without cornerback Trevon Diggs who was inactive today because of a concussion. Meanwhile, the Commanders had it a bit worse, playing without both of their top receivers, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. It was a matter of which team could navigate their injury report better and take advantage of a depleted opposition.
We should be very pleased that the Cowboys did just that and crushed the battered Commanders for an important NFC East win. Here are the players who helped deliver the Cowboys to victory. We’re not going to include Dak Prescott here, we’ve already discussed his unbelievable play earlier. So we’re going to spread the credit around to some other players.
DaRon Bland
Without Diggs, the Cowboys were thin at cornerback. Players like Kaiir Elam and Trikweze Bridges were tasked with getting significant snaps, making DaRon Bland’s presence even more important. Bland filled the void as a decorated starter with terrific ability. Bland was great in all phases and showed great versatility. First, he provided a lot in tackling in open space. Early in the game, after Washington went up 8-7, Bland chased down Jayden Daniels on the quarterback keeper during a two-point conversion attempt to make sure Daniels didn’t convert the try. He also made a tackle on Jeremy McNichols to ensure that the defense forced a punt.
Then, Bland was tasked with defending Washington’s best available receivers and was also matched up on Zach Ertz, who played very well against him in man coverage. Bland also capped off a physical afternoon with a pick-six on Marcus Mariota, playing in relief of Daniels, to record his first interception return for touchdown since 2023, when he had five and earned All-Pro honors. It’s a welcome return to form for a defense that desperately needs turnovers.
Shemar James
Because the numbers were inflated toward the end of the game, it may not look like it, but the Dallas run defense was much better against Washington. It all started with players being in their right spots. One of the biggest concerns was how Dallas would contain rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He was a non-factor, running for only 33 yards on 13 carries. Jayden Daniels also didn’t do much as a runner before leaving the contest either.
A special nod should go to Shemar James for his efforts and to a lesser extent, Kenneth Murray, who played his best game in some weeks. James and his linebacker counterparts did a great job of filling holes and not falling for the misdirection of Washington’s offense. Tied with Murray for the team lead, James had nine tackles, including a sack and forced fumble that was recovered by Jadeveon Clowney.
After Washington failed to communicate who had James on the blitz, he had a free run at Daniels, and James capitalized on the play. With DeMarvion Overshown’s return expected in the next month, the Cowboys’ linebacker...
